The present invention relates generally to a striker for a vehicle closure, and in particular to an adjustable striker assembly for engaging a latch on a compartment door, such as a glove box.
Closures in vehicles commonly have a latch and striker type of arrangement for holding the closure in its closed position. Often, the latch will be mounted to the closure with a button or other type of release mechanism controlling the latch. A striker is then mounted to a vehicle component or structure and located so the latch will engage the striker when the closure is moved to its fully closed position. The latch engagement with the striker then holds the closure in its closed position until the button is actuated to release the latch from the striker.
A common use for a latch and striker assembly is a vehicle glove box, with the latch mounted to the glove box door and the striker mounted to the glove box portion of an instrument panel. In modern vehicles, the styled surfaces of instrument panels typically do not provide natural overhangs or features that will hide improper door fit. Consequently, for proper aesthetics, automotive glove box doors are required to fit near perfectly on every vehicle. This is despite the fact that every instrument panel is installed into a vehicle body that has some variation due to manufacturing tolerances. When an instrument panel is installed into an automotive body, then, the fit of the glove box door may be changed, which may require adjustment to assure the latch and striker assembly engage properly.
Typical strikers used with glove box closures are made of bent steel wire, which is welded to a steel plate that is then riveted or screwed to the instrument panel. Many times the strikers are not precisely located when installed on the instrument panel—due to tolerances in locating the plate or twisting that may occur when mounting screws are tightened.
The need arises—whether due to instrument panel installation variations, striker installation variations, or both—to adjust the striker so the latch will engage with it when the glove box door is closed. Conventionally, this adjustment is accomplished by guessing what adjustment is needed and manually bending the wire of the striker. This is a very crude and inexact process that often results in the striker being bent and moved in unintended directions. The unwanted distortion from this crude adjustment process may increase the friction between the latch and striker and so may raise operating efforts—even possibly cause some binding in the latching assembly. Thus, the adjustment process, while assuring that the latch will engage the striker, may prevent the smooth operation of the latch and striker assembly.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a striker that is used with a latch on a vehicle closure that allows for easy and accurate adjustment of the striker to assure that the latch and striker assembly works smoothly and properly.